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How affordable housing is funded

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Calgary City Council has made affordable housing a priority for Calgary. Council approved $57.9 million in the 2009-2011 Budget to increase the supply of affordable housing in the city. These funds are to be used to leverage senior government grant funding, to realize a locally defined program to address affordable housing needs in Calgary.

The Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada, including Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, provide channels of capital funding on an annual basis to stimulate affordable housing initiatives in Calgary. The Government of Alberta, in particular, has provided generous contributions to affordable housing across Alberta through its various affordable housing and homelessness programs. The City's role in the development of non-market and entry level market housing maximizes the impact of City resources by leveraging other government funding.

The Government of Alberta re-engaged in the capital funding of affordable housing development along with the Government of Canada, in 2001, when it signed the Canada-Alberta Affordable Housing Ag​reement.

By 2002, funding was available to non-profits, private sector organizations and municipalities through Phase One of the Affordable Housing Partnerships Initiative (AHPI). This was delivered by Alberta Seniors & Community Supports and was targeted to high-needs, high-growth municipalities and funded rental housing for low to moderate-income households. Provincial Block Funding for municipalities was introduced and committed for 3 years, starting in 2007 and was delivered by Housing & Urban Affairs. In 2010, the funding mechanism changed to combine funding for affordable housing units and units for the homeless, through the Housing Capital Initiatives Request for Proposals​ process.